Ph. Whether the US and its allies run out of air defences before Iran runs out of airborne projectiles remains to be seen. guruXOX / Shutterstock Andrew Gawthorpe, Leiden University If Israel and the US hoped their attack on Iran would force the country to capitulate quickly, they were wrong. Despite the death
Michael Klein, Tufts University The “fog of war” refers to confusion and uncertainty on the battlefield and the attendant possibility of fatal error. This principle has a parallel when it comes to the economic consequences of wars as well, especially when they occur in a region that is a chokepoint for the production
Scott Lucas, University College Dublin The conflict in the Middle East is now in its sixth day and is showing no sign of letting up. Israeli and US warplanes have continued to strike targets inside Iran, which has prompted retaliatory attacks throughout the region. An American submarine has also sunk an Iranian navy
Tim Vogel, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) and Zoryana Olekseyuk, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) The African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) was introduced in 2000 as the cornerstone of US development-oriented trade policy towards sub-Saharan Africa. It was designed to grant eligible countries duty-free access to the US
Ph. A group of demonstrators in Tehran wave Iranian flags in support of the government on Feb. 28, 2026. AP Photo/Vahid Salemi Donald Heflin, Tufts University After the largest buildup of U.S. warships and aircraft in the Middle East in decades, American and Israeli military forces launched a massive assault on Iran on
Ph. Georgia General Election 2020 ballots are loaded by the FBI onto trucks at the Fulton County Election hub on Jan. 28, 2026, in Union City, Ga. AP Photo/Mike Stewart Derek T. Muller, University of Notre Dame The recent FBI search of the Fulton County, Georgia, elections facility and the seizure of election-related
Stefan Wolff, University of Birmingham and Tetyana Malyarenko, National University Odesa Law Academy In a surprise announcement on February 10, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said that his administration was preparing to hold presidential elections before the middle of May. Alongside these elections, he is reported to be planning to hold a referendum on
The U.S.-WHO collaboration has been critical in the country’s response to mpox, shown here, as well as Ebola, Marburg, flu and COVID-19. Uma Shankar sharma/Moment via Getty Images Jordan Miller, Arizona State University The U.S. departure from the World Health Organization became official in late January 2026, according to the Trump administration –
Ph. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images Henry Maher, University of Sydney After months of speculation, US President Donald Trump confirmed he will be nominating Kevin Warsh as the next chair of the US Federal Reserve. The appointment has been closely watched in the context of Trump’s ongoing conflict with the Fed and its current chairman
Ph. Boston and much of the U.S. faced a cold winter blast in January 2026. Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Mathew Barlow, UMass Lowell and Judah Cohen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) A severe winter storm sweeping across the central and eastern U.S. in late January 2026 is threatening states